On Thursday, World champions Spain Women will kick off their Women's Euro 2025 campaign when they take on Iberian rivals Portugal Women in Bern.

Spain are set to make their fourth consecutive appearance at the tournament, while Portugal are competing in their third successive European Championship.

Match preview

After winning the 2023 World Cup, Spain travel to Switzerland with aspirations of winning the European Championship for the very first time.

La Roja made light work of the qualifying process, winning five of their six matches (D1) to finish top of a group that contained Denmark, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Spain's current focus will be on ending their run of quarter-final exits, having been eliminated at the last-eight stage in the previous three European Championships, including an extra-time defeat to eventual winners England in 2022.

First, they will have to negotiate a group featuring Portugal, Belgium and Italy, with La Roja looking to carry their recent fine run of form into the tournament.

Montse Tome's side qualified for the 2025 Nations League finals after they recorded five wins in six matches, including statement 4-2 and 7-1 victories in their two matches against Portugal. 

They also came from behind to pick up a 3-1 win friendly win against Japan on Sunday, ensuring that they will enter Thursday's fixture on the back of a five-game winning run. 

The qualifying process was conducted in a Nations League format, meaning that Portugal went into a playoff after winning their League B group last year.

They cruised to an 8-1 win in their two-legged tie against Azerbaijan in the first round of the playoffs, before they edged out the Czech Republic in the second round.

After they played out a 1-1 draw in Prague, Portugal went on to pick up a 2-1 victory in the away leg, courtesy of Diana Silva's crucial brace.

They are now looking forward to making their third appearance at the tournament, with hopes of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time after suffering group-stage exits in 2017 and 2022.

Portugal enter the competition on the back of a difficult Nations League campaign, which saw them finish bottom of a group that contained Spain, England and Belgium, condemning them to an immediate return to League B.

Francisco Neto's charges recently played out a goalless draw in a friendly against Nigeria, meaning that they have gone five games without a win since beating Belgium 1-0 in February. 

Spain Women form (all competitions):

Portugal Women form (all competitions):

Team News

Spain are unable to call upon Arsenal defender Laia Codina and Real Madrid midfielder Teresa Abelleira due to injury.

Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati was recently discharged from the hospital after undergoing treatment for viral meningitis, and while she has linked back up with her teammates, she is unlikely to play in Thursday’s opener. 

As a result, Tome could give Vicky Lopez the opportunity to start in the middle of the park alongside Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas.

Meanwhile, Portugal are without the services of veteran forward Carolina Mendes, who will miss the tournament through injury.

Barcelona attacker Kika Nazareth has been included in the squad despite the fact that she is still recovering from an ankle injury that has kept her out of action since March.

Portugal's third-highest ever goalscorer, Diana Silva, should provide one of her country's main attacking outlets in Thursday's contest, with the Sporting Lisbon star set to partner Jessica Silva in the forward line. 

Spain Women possible starting lineup:

Coll; Batlle, Mendez, Aleixandri, Carmona; Lopez, Guijarro, Putellas; Caldentey, Pina, Gonzalez

Portugal Women possible starting lineup:

Teixeira; F.Pinto, Costa, Seica; Borges, Jacinto, Norton, T.Pinto, Amado; D.Silva, J.Silva

We say: Spain Women 3-1 Portugal Women

Spain have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches, so we expect Portugal to trouble the scorers in this encounter.

However, Spain's array of attacking talent should prove too strong for their Iberian rivals, which is why we are predicting a relatively comfortable victory for the world champions.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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